


That name...

by Audiospawn



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Backstory, Chara Swearing, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, POV First Person, Reader Is Chara, Reader is Asriel (Sometimes)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-18 07:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5906617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audiospawn/pseuds/Audiospawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm gonna warn ya, there's some heavy stuff in this fic.</p><p>There's some adorable stuff too though</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. alone

...

 

What did you do to deserve this?

What did you do to deserve any of this?

 

You try to remember.

The rain is pouring on the cave wall.

It’s really cold out here.

 

Not that surprising, considering its October.

You should have known better, really.

Perhaps you deserve this.

Soaking wet, hungry, and on the run.

How did it come to this?

 

...

 

The first thing you remember is being alone.

Alone for what felt like days.

You "lived" in a worn down trailer out in the middle of nowhere.

Your parents left you alone for days at a time.

Nothing but the dilapidated walls and the scuttling sounds of mice and insects to keep you company.

You learned very quickly to feed yourself.

Bags of chips and packages of noodles; junk food.

 

You never learned how to cook them, so you would eat them dry. They tasted alright.

When you finally did try to learn how to cook, you tried to show your mother, and her reaction was not what you expected

She forbade you to ever cook again, for fear you would set the house ablaze.

 

Whenever your parents were home, they would either ignore you, or try to hurt you for something you did wrong.

You tried talking to your Dad, and he beat you.

He had a hard job. Worked in the local coal mine.

You tried talking to your Mother, and she would call you names, hit you across the face, and do weird stuff to you.

She didn’t have a job.

But they both liked to “run errands”, as they called it.

So they were thankfully almost never home.

 

The quiet was nice.

There was a TV that you would watch sometimes.

Mostly local public access. You saw the outside world on TV. Cars. Guns. Watches. Some strange show with stuffed animals.

 

Your "home" had a leaky roof.

 

You learned very quickly that you were an accident, as your parents would tell you whenever they were home.

 

Your father drank, and heavily.

 

Your mother was always downing some sort of pills.

 

You really liked being alone.

 

Eventually, you decided to venture beyond your prison, and into the village.

 

You had seen cities on TV, but the village, or the “county” as people called it, looked nothing like them. Almost nobody had a car, and everyone had either horses or mules. There were vendors of all sorts, selling magazines, food, and weird things you didn’t quite recognize, but people bought in droves. There were white things that people would smoke, and these brown things they would eat; both of which made them act strangely.

You didn’t have any money. As far as you knew, your parents didn’t either.

They would run “errands”, but never come home with any food. Not any for you, at least. They always bought plenty of food for themselves.

You learned what stealing was on TV.

You started stealing not too long after.

You stole some fruit. It tasted much better than noodles.

You stole some chocolate. It was… **_good_**.

You stole a magazine. You couldn’t read it, but you really liked the pictures.

You remember when you went into the fishing store.

Knives, spears, hooks, and all sorts of strange contraptions you had never seen before.

You knew what a knife could do to fruit.

You stole one.

It was a knife for cutting fish, you assumed.

You caught a mouse one day. You tried cutting it with the knife. You remember the way its blood oozed out. The way it slowly stopped moving. You remember the fluttering feeling in your chest. It died. You killed it.

You kept the knife with you when you slept. It had the power to kill. To keep you safe.

One day, your parents found it and took it away while you were sleeping.

You remember the glass shards in your face. The scalding hot water. The way your face stung for days afterward.

So you stole another one.

This time, if they wanted it, they’d have to kill you.

You hid it in a place they’d never find it.

It kept you safe.

 

One day, you got caught.

Your parents had come home without you.

But that wasn’t why you got caught.

You had tried to steal a spear.

You wanted to use it for something, but the owner saw you, and took you home.

Your parents…

 

You remember the pain.

You remember the shouting.

You were to never leave again.

 

They hired a babysitter.

He was an old man named Tom.

He had been a lawyer for 20 years, as he would tell everybody.

You liked him. He would bring you candy and ice cream.

He liked chocolate just as much as you did.

He would call you nice names, and give you nice things.

He would tell you not to tell your parents, and you didn’t, because he was so nice.

He would talk to you for hours on end, telling you about the world, and calling you beautiful, delicate, sweet, and other such things.

Your parents never gave you this much attention.

You told him you liked to wear your Dad’s boots.

He bought you a nice pair the next day.

You treasured them. They were your most prized possession, next to your knife.

 

He would bring movies for you to watch. Your dad had an old VCR, and Tom had a bunch of old movies.

You remember watching Star Wars with him. You wished you could be a hero like Luke Skywalker. You really wished you could have a lightsaber.

He told you about swords, and you remember how happy that made you. You really wanted a sword, so you could be a hero just like Luke.

He would bring an old radio and you would listen to music together. You really liked country music. He did, too.

He sometimes brought nice food, and would cook it for you.

 

Sometimes, Tom would touch your belly. He would ask you if it tickled, and you would say yes, cause it did.

 

Tom would sometimes tell you about when he was a lawyer. Listening to him, you realized you wanted to be a lawyer, so you could protect the innocent and punish the guilty.

Tom had told you that guilty people deserved to either die, or to rot in prison.

Tom always liked wearing comfy clothes.

 

Tom brought a chocolate cake once. You ate it together. It was your birthday. Tom had remembered when you parents had not. He made you promise not to tell your parents, and you never did tell them.

After you ate the cake, you felt funny, so you went to bed. Tom was watching a shopping channel on TV.

You remember waking up to Tom touching you. He was touching you all over.

“I don’t like this.”

He kept touching you.

“I don’t like this! It feels… funny.”

You could smell the whiskey on his breath.

He undid the button on your pants.

“It hurts! I don’t like it!”

But he kept on.

“It hurts! I-it feels...”

You need your knife **_right now_**.

“N-no! S-stop!”

You got your knife.

You’re naked now. You brandish the knife.

“I-I d-don’t wanna hurt you, Tom, but you need to stop.”

“You promised.”

He tried to pull the knife out of your hands, but you slashed at him.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”

He went at you with both arms, trying to go for your neck.

You drove the knife as deep and hard as you could into his.

You remember the ways his eyes went wide, and then went blank as he fell to the floor.

You remember the gurgling sound, and the way the blood oozed out from his neck.

He was dead.

You were a fool to trust him. He just wanted to hurt you like your parents did.

But at the time…

 

“Please, wake up…”

You knew he was dead, but you thought there might have still been a chance.

After crying over his body for a while, you tried to wash the knife.

No matter how much you washed it, the blood wouldn’t come out.

Your parents would be home soon.

Tom was too heavy for you to pick up, so you ran, taking the bloody knife with you.

Killing him felt good.

That was the first time you were called a demon.

 

 


	2. the fall of the fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Chara's had a nice life, do you?

They found you. Your parents found you in the woods. You remember the beatings.

You remember the way your parents cried.

Said what a great man Tom was.

Talked about how he had helped them out.

You didn’t understand.

You remember when your uncle drove down to your home in his beat up old pickup truck.

You remember sitting there in court.

Sitting for hours.

Tom’s family members were there, crying about him.

You remember getting to testify.

You told them what Tom did to you.

Nobody believed you.

They called you a monster, a demon.

They said you belonged in Mt. Ebott, where all the monsters were banished centuries ago.

Maybe that’s what you were. A monster.

You were supposed to be tried as an adult for murder. But a person you had never met before, who claimed to be your biological father, said that you had a rare mental disorder. You weren’t sure what that meant. He smelled funny, but he seemed nice. Just like Tom. Eventually, the sentencing was decided. You would be put into St. Borden’s.

St. Borden’s was where bad children went, Tom had told you. You would stay there until you turned 18, and you would be put on probation for twenty years afterwards. Your father said that was too good for you. Your other Dad said that the murder was an accident. The judge was not convinced. You remember the way they cheered, all of them, when you were led out of the courtroom. The man who claimed to be your father looked really sad. You never forgot his face. You had heard your name for the first time.

Chara.

That was a nice name.

 

St. Borden’s was not nice.

You remember your parents taking away everything from you. Even your knife.

All they gave you was your last pair of clothes, ragged and worn. They even took away your boots. You remember how they laughed when they drove away with your uncle.

St. Borden’s was built with a view towards the ocean, not too far from Mount Ebott.

It was a tall, intimidating place, grey and silver. The letters on the archway were faded.

You remember checking in. You remember the woman who walked you through. She had a gun.

She showed you your cell. A sink, a bed, and a toilet. The sheets were very thin, and the dirty gray mattress was on the floor. She told you that you would be getting your clothes shortly.

Blue and gray. No pockets. You liked pockets. There was a tiny window in your cell. It was too high up for you to see anything.

It was nearly midnight. So you slept.

You woke up at 6:00. You remember the alarm. A large man forced the other kids out of their cells. You went outside to the exercise area. It was cold and wet outside. The muddy ground seeped through the flimsy shoes they gave you. This was your life now.

You were one of the youngest people at St. Borden’s. Word spread quickly. You had killed an old man. You were a murderer. A demon. Every one of the other kids called you a monster.

But it really wasn’t so bad.

You got a place to exercise, food to eat, and soon, you’d start taking classes.

This was your life now, and it was a nice life.

You had seen schools in movies, and you loved to learn new things.

But you always did love exploring.

You learned something really important one day.

You were eating your lunch, a piece of fried chicken with some mashed potatoes and string beans. Not your favorite, but it was better than going hungry.

Mitch came up to you and grabbed your fork out of your hands, crushing it into pieces.

You sighed, and got up to walk away.

“Where ya goin, short shit?”

He blocked your way.

He smacked you across the face.

Called you a demon.

Said he was just doing what everybody was thinking.

You’ll never forget what happened next.

You punched him in the groin as hard you could.

He let out an anguished moan and fell to his knees.

Then you kicked him in the face as hard as you could.

You knocked a tooth out and broke his nose.

You’ll never forget the way he cried and screamed.

It felt good. Really good.

You had defended yourself.

All of the other kids had stopped what they were doing, and watched you, stunned.

You glared at them, daring them to make a move.

Then one of the guards put you in solitary.

A big wooden room. Nothing.

Nothing but a toilet, sink, and a small slot they pushed your meals through.

Alone. For days.

But you learned something important.

The strong are the ones who thrive, while the weak are punished.

The judge and your parents put you here because they had the influence and strength to do so.

Tom abused you because he knew no one would believe you, so you killed him.

You were so proud to finally know the true meaning of this world.

Sarah tried to make your life a living hell after what you did to her boyfriend, but it turns out girls don’t like being punched in the groin, either.

People gave you space after that.

 

One day, you had the exercise yard all to yourself.

Or rather, you weren’t supposed be out there.

One of the spotters around the perimeter had called in sick, word had said.

One kid was planning on breaking out.

You went with him.

You wanted to be free.

You didn’t trust him, but you needed someone to help you bust out.

You snuck a fork when nobody was looking and prepared.

As you were being walked back to your cells, you both snuck away while names were being called.

It was pouring. Pouring hard.

You remember climbing the chain-link fence, the freezing rain pounding down on you the whole time.

You remember the way it made your hands bleed. You remember landing in the ocean.

The other guy couldn’t swim. But you had swam in the ocean before.

You swam to the shore, which wasn’t terribly far away, and you started running.

You didn’t stop until it was almost pitch black out.

And then you heard the sirens.

You weren’t far from Mt. Ebott.

You knew the legend.

Children went there to disappear…

Why not, then?

 

You started climbing up Mt. Ebott.

You heard the police calling your name through a megaphone like they had had at St. Borden’s.

You kept climbing, taking care to make yourself as small as possible.

It was so dark they probably wouldn’t be able to see you.

Then you saw the flashlights. They were close.

You found a damp, dark, moist cave.

 

They’ll be here any moment.

You hear gunshots.

You go deeper into the cave.

You find a massive hole of some sort, with vines all around it.

“I found ‘im!”

 

Shit.

You run over to the hole. You can see a small indentation in the wall of the hole.

If you could just climb down…

“There they are!”

The officer is in the cave.

 

You desperately scramble to get down there, but your foot is caught in something.

You struggle to get free, but he’s getting closer.

You get free.

 

But now you’re falling.

You’ve fallen down the cave.

And now you’re going to die.

The last thing you hear is the sound of the rain pounding down.

You brace yourself for the inevitable.

 

It’s funny; you never thought you’d die this way.

 

 

 

 


	3. sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows

You taste blood.

It’s your blood.

Is this hell?

 

Then why?

Why are you still breathing?

 

You’re alive.

The fall didn’t kill you.

 

the pain

OH GOD THE PAIN

 

You open your eyes.

You’re in a big gray, empty room that seems to stretch on for miles.

The hole is barely visible up there.

Your vision goes red in one eye.

Your face is bleeding.

 

You try to get up, but you can’t move your right leg.

You look at your leg.

Its bent at an awkward angle and you can’t quite feel it

 

Oh wait yesyoucan

 

You scream in agony.

“FUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!”

You try to move your right arm, but it seems to be broken, too.

This is how you die. You’ll either die of thirst or bleed to death.

Maybe this is what you deserve.

But you don’t want to die.

What can you do?

 

Despite knowing that it’ll get you killed, you call for help.

“HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPP!!!”

No response.

 

“SOMEBOOOOODY! HEEEEEELLLLPPP!!!”

_But nobody came._

 

“I’M DYING! SOMEONE HEEEEELPP!!!”

_Your call was absorbed by the darkness._

 

“FUUUUUUAAAAAAAAGAHAHAHAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!”

You scream in agony. The pain is too much to bear. You can feel yourself drifting in and out of consciousness.

 

“OH GOD… SOMEBODY HEEEEEEELLPPP ME!!!”

**_Nothing._ **

 

You hear something clack.

Footsteps?

Your heart is beating incredibly fast. This must be what fear feels like. You’ve felt this before.

 

It’s getting closer.

Ohgod

 

You clutch your leg in agony with your good arm.

Tears are streaming down your face from the pain, and your uniform is getting stained with blood.

A tiny voice calls out to you.

 

“H-hello?”

“I-is someone there?”

It sounds young.

A kid. Just like you.

 

“Uhm… I’m hurt real bad. Please, go get help!”

They’re just going to leave you.

Or worse, kill you.

A head peeks out from a doorway in the distance.

They sure are pale.

 

They walk closer.

You try to clutch the fork, but you dropped it.

You ball your good hand into a fist, just in case.

“A-are you okay?”

They’re getting closer.

They don’t look human.

 

Maybe this isn’t real?

The pain sure feels real.

Maybe you’re just having a bad dream.

It walks over to you.

 

It really doesn’t look human.

It’s a goat/cow person. That’s the only way to describe it.

Its face is sort of cow shaped, and its covered in thick white fur. It has brown eyes that look human… sort of. It has long, floppy ears. It’s wearing human clothes. A blue and red striped shirt, and a pair of khaki shorts. Its barefoot. Both its hands and its feet have short, stubby claws, a bit like a dog. It doesn’t appear to have a tail. It seems to have dirt on its hands and feet.

Yup. This is definitely a nightmare.

 

“H-howdy…”

You stare at it.

“Um… Are you okay?”

“I’m dying.”

 

It looks at your leg and its eye grow wide and it lets out a gasp.

“Oh my goodness! You’re hurt!”

 

No shit, Sherlock.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“I uhh… I was playing and I fell and hurt my leg.”

 

Not the truth, but good enough.

“Oh wow… Is your leg supposed to bend like that?”

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Alright, stand still.”

“Whoa! Back the hell up, man!”

 

You desperately try to get away from it.

“Don’t touch me!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

He’s going to kill you. It’s going to kill you.

This is how you die. Slaughtered by a goat monster.

Wait…

 

“Just sit still…”

It stretches both of his arms out, with the palms of its hands facing towards you. Its hands are human like, but they have little pink things in the center of them.

Its hands are glowing.

 

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”

“Just calm down and sit still. My Mom taught me this and she’s an expert.”

It puts its palms on your chest.

“Alright, take a deep breath.”

It takes a deep breath.

 

Rainbow colored light emerges from its palms!

It’s going to kill you with this, somehow.

You brace for the inevitable.

 

Warmth fills you.

Then cold. Freezing cold.

But, as soon as it’s started, its gone.

 

The monster is sweating profusely.

“Whew!”

It wipes the sweat off its face. Its sweat is oddly milky.

 

“There! Better?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I healed you, silly!”

It has a proud smile on its face.

 

You move your right arm.

YOU CAN MOVE YOUR ARM AGAIN!

You swing it left and right.

“It’s not a problem, stranger.”

It says, with both of its arms crossed and a proud expression on its face.

 

You bring your hand to your head. You’ve stopped bleeding, but it still hurts really bad.

“Ugh…”

You try to stand but you fall over on your face.

Your leg is still broken.

It opens its eyes, looking concerned.

“Wow, you really are hurt bad, huh?”

“What, you can fix my arm but not my leg!?”

 

You didn’t mean to say that, but it was the first thing that came to your mind.

“S-sorry! I’m still practicing, and that’s the best I can do right now. This is the first time I’ve ever actually used healing magic on somebody that’s really hurt.”

 

Magic?

“W-what?”

“Oh yeah, I know it’s not normal for kids to know healing magic, but I-“

 

“What are you?”

“H-huh?”

It seems genuinely bewildered.

“Uh… I’m, uh… What do you mean?”

“What are you? Are you human? Are you an alien?”

“I’m a monster, silly!”

 

Oh.

 

“Humans live on the surface.”

“I’m from the surface.”

Its eyes grow wide.

 

“A-are you a human?” it whispers in amazement.

You nod.

“Woah! An actual, real-life human!”

“Look, I know you’re excited, but can you fix my leg?”

“I can take you to someone who can!”

 

Do you really have a choice?

 

“We can talk more on the way there.”

“What’s your name, stranger?”

“Chara.”

“Chara? That’s a nice name. My name is Asriel Dreemurr.”

 

Is **_this_** how you die?

Killed by a monster?

Are you a monster?

Or something worse?

 

It lifts you up.

“Whoa! Hold up!”

“I gotcha!”

It’s really strong.

“Can you walk?”

“On one foot, yes.”

He chuckles, and helps you walk to the doorway.

He sure is strong.

Maybe too strong.

 


	4. two of em

This is real. This is all too real.

 

“So, Chara…”

“Y-yeah?”

“Where are you from?”

“A village on the surface.”

“What are humans like?”

“I… don’t know.”

 

“What do you mean you don’t know? Don’t you…”

He sees the look on your face.

 

“Uhh… Anyways… Are you hungry?”

“No.”

You are, but you won’t accept food from this thing.

 

“Uhm… Okay.”

You quietly hobble down the hallway with him.

“So where’s your family?”

“Don’t have one.”

“You don’t?”

You shake your head.

“Wow.”

 

“Where are you taking me?”

“To my Mom, of course! She can heal anybody!”

Mother. This thing has a mother. Maybe she’ll want to eat you, or…

Oh right. A war broke out. Humans and monsters are supposed to be mortal enemies. He’s just too naïve to realize.

 

“Of course, we have to find her, first. She said she’d stay close by…”

“Don’t you hate me?”

“Huh?”

“I’m a human.”

“ _So?_ ”

“We went to war.”

“That was a really long time ago. You’re safe here, Chara.”

 

The best lie you’ve ever heard.

You don’t really have a choice but to believe it.

You are in a purple room, filled with vines and orange leaves. It smells like leaves.

You see two sets of stairs, leading to a corridor of some sort.

He helps you up the stairs and through the corridor.

 

Another purple room.

There are some large grey buttons here, and what appears to be a door of some sort.

 

“Sit here for a sec while I press these.”

He gently sets you down. He steps on the buttons in a certain pattern. He pulls a switch.

The door opens.

 

“The RUINS are full of puzzles like these. Just stay close and I’ll solve ‘em for ya!”

“Do you live here?”

“My parents used to! But now we live in “NEW HOME!”

“What kinda name is that?”

“My Dad isn’t great at coming up with names.”

He picks you back up, and you follow him out of the door.

A room with what appears to be a current of water with a bridge in the middle. There are some switches on the walls.

 

“Sit here while I flip this.”

He flips the switch.

*whooom*

 

You walk together across a similar bridge.

Spikes block your path.

“Now I gotta press this one.”

Without letting go of you he flips the switch on the left with his free hand.

*whooom*

 

“What about the other one?”

“Its broken.”

“Oh.”

 

You walk to the next room.

There’s nothing in here but a dummy.

 

“Don’t mind him, he’s just shy.”

“It’s a dummy.”

“A shy dummy.” he says slyly.

 

You walk through the doorway with him.

 

A purple hallway. So much purple.

 

You see an ocean of spikes.

“Uhh…”

“What’s wrong?”

 

He’s sweating again.

 “I uhh… Don’t actually remember how to do this one…”

“SO WE’RE STUCK DOWN HERE!?”

“UHH… Uhh, Hold on, Hold on…”

 

He pulls something out of a pocket in his pants.

A big bulky looking phone.

“Where’d you get that?”

“I got it for my birthday a year or two ago.”

 

He pushes the button in and…

*ring* *ring*

 

“Hello?”

 

You can hear a decidedly female voice coming through the other end.

 

“Hello, Asriel! Are you done with bug hunting for today? It is a bit early, but if you are tired, I-“

“Mom! I found somebody! And they’re hurt real bad!”

“I… I’ll be with you shortly. Stay where you are and don’t cause trouble. Where are you?”

 

“Right in front of all the spikes.”

“I understand. Don’t try to cross them by yourself, okay?”

“Right, Mom.”

“Alright, then. Be good, alright?”

“Bye.”

“Goodbye.”

 

*Click!*

 

“Uhh…”

“It’ll take her a few moments to get here.”

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Can we chat about whatever until then?”

“Sure, why not?”

 

“Magic.”

“Huh?”

He seems surprised.

 

“You talked about healing magic.”

“And?”

“Magic is real!?”

“Well, of course it is! What do you think we’re all made of?”

“Flesh and blood?”

“What’s blood?”

 

Oh.

 

“You see this stuff on my face? Humans are full of it. It keeps us alive.”

“Oh. You can’t do magic?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“But all my friends can do magic…”

“Humans can’t. At least as far as I know.”

 

“Oh wow. I guess I could show you some magic, but I’m kinda worn out.”

“Could you show it to me later?”

“Sure!”

He seems delighted by the prospect.

You get the feeling that you’re definitely going to be on the receiving end of some magic pretty soon. You wonder when he’s going to tell you what the catch is.

 

“So, uh… You like bug hunting?”

“Bug hunting?”

“Yeah! Mom and me came down here to hunt for bugs. She was out grocery shopping when I found you.”

“I uhh, used to kill bugs at home.”

His eyes go wide.

 

“D-did you say “kill?””

“Y-yes?”

“You aren’t supposed to kill things.”

“Says who?”

“My parents.”

 

Oh no.

 

“I’m just kidding, I’d never do something like that.”

“Heh.”

That was close.

 

“What’s up with your hands?”

“Huh?”

“Look at mine.”

He does.

“Oh wow! Your hands are all different than mine!”

“Neat, huh?”

 

“So, uh… you like knives?”

“My mom says I’m not allowed to touch knives.”

“Oh.”

 

“You know, sometimes, when I’m bored, I like to make funny faces.”

He sticks his tongue out and winks at you.

You giggle.

“Oh that’s nothing! Watch this!”

He makes face like a doll, with his eyes going in opposite directions.

You fall over laughing.

 

“PFFFFTTT…. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Pretty funny, huh?”

Honestly, you're just relieved that he's trying to entertain you, and not hurt you.

 

“OWWWWWW!!!”

Your leg still hurts like hell.

 

You can hear footsteps.

“Oh look, she’s here.”

The spikes lower.

 

She is a large creature, covered in white fur, wearing what appears to be either a purple robe or a purple smock of some sort.

She towers over you, but you can still see her face.

Her face is an odd shape and she has horns on both sides of her vaguely cow shaped head, with long, furry, floppy ears, and eyes that are a maroon color.

 

Yep. They’re definitely the same species. She looks a bit like a demon, but her face is a bit too nice.

 

She's wearing a somewhat stern expression as she speaks to her son.

 

“Asriel.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Where are they?”

“Right here.”

 

He picks you up and helps you walk to her.

“Careful…”

 

She scans you, with a stern look on her face.

She’s going to kill you for endangering her son.

This is how you die.

 

“Alright, hold still.”

She stretches her palms out towards you.

You feel the same feeling, but more intense.

Blistering heat, and then freezing cold.

 

“Can you move?”

 

You shakily put weight onto your leg.

You walk on it.

You run. You jump in the air.

“I can walk again!” you cheer loudly.

 

She seems pleased.

“You’re the best, Mom!”

“It is no trouble at all.”

She smiles kindly.

 

“This is Chara, Mom!”

“Nice to meet you, Chara!”

 

“They’re a human from the surface!”

The smile vanishes from her face.

 

"...Mom?”

 

This.

This is how you die.


	5. chestnuts roasting

She stares at you for what seems like forever.

What is she going to do to you?

 

“Please don’t kill me.”

You didn’t mean to say that out loud.

Her expression shifts.

She suddenly looks very sad.

 

Asriel has tears in his eyes.

“Chara’s nice, Mom…”

She looks at him, and then looks at you.

She sighs, and shakes her head.

 

“I don’t know why you think I want to hurt you.”

“Because I’m a human.”

 

She puts her hand over her mouth and looks away.

She seems to be thinking about something.

 

“How did you get here?”

“Huh?”

“How did you get here, human?”

She says this in a polite tone, but you get the impression that lying would be a very bad idea.

 

“I, uhh… fell.”

“You fell? From where?”

“I was… playing on Mt. Ebott, and I-“

She gasps.

“You were playing on Mt. Ebott? Why would you ever play in a place like that?”

“I… didn’t have anywhere else to play.”

You don’t think she believes you.

 

“How in the world did you get down here, child?”

“I fell down a hole.”

“A hole?”

“A hole in Mt. Ebott.”

She’s staring at you.

“It started raining, and it was really dark, and I couldn’t see where I was going…”

“I understand.”

 

“...Are you going to kill me?”

“Of course not!”

“Mom’s nice, Chara! Right, Mom?”

She nods faintly.

She seems a bit worried by you.

 

“Asriel.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

 

“Sure! I was bug hunting, and I was looking around the ruins, cause I thought I saw a ladybug and I really wanted to catch it, but then I heard a loud noise.”

He claps his hand together loudly.

“Then, I heard someone screaming. I thought you were calling me...”

“Continue.”

“Well, I heard the voice calling for help, so I went to go see what it was.”

 

“And that’s how he found me.”

She looks at you.

“Chara was hurt really bad… I did what you taught me, Mom!”

She looks alarmed.

“What did you do, my child?”

“I healed them!”

He seems proud of this fact.

 

She looks at you with a concerned expression.

“Did you try to hurt my son?”

“No.”

“It’s true, Mom! All this dirt on me is from bug hunting, honest!”

 

She doesn’t say anything for a long time.

 

Suddenly, she walks towards you, and get down on her knees.

She’s trying to strangle you!

Wait, no… She’s…

Hugging you?

 

“There, there…” she says, while gently stroking your hair.

“Everything will be alright.”

“What are we gonna do, Mom?”

“We need to talk to your father. He can work out a permanent solution.”

Father? Considering how big she is, you shudder to imagine how big his father must be.

 

“When was the last time you bathed?”

“HUH!?”

“You smell as if you haven’t bathed in quite some time, small one.”

You sniff yourself. Yuck!

 

You were out in the rain for a long time.

“These clothes are filthy! What parent would allow this?”

“I… Don’t have any.”

She lets go of you.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

 

“Should we go find Dad?”

“I suppose.”

 

“How’s your leg, Chara?”

“Fine.”

“Follow me, children.”

 

She walks over the spikes.

You and Asriel follow close behind.

As you walk, she talks to her son…

 

“Where is your net, dear?”

“I uh… forgot it.”

“Oh. You must be more careful next ime.”

“Sorry.”

“You both could use a bath. As soon as we get home, I want you both to get clean.”

“I don’t have any clothes, miss… uhh…”

 

“Toriel.”

 

A nice enough name.

“That’s quite alright. I am sure we can find some that will fit you.”

 

Find some?

 

After walking for what feels like forever, you come to a big black tree, full of leaves.

“We’re here!”

“What is this place?”

“It’s where my parents lived before I was born, Chara!”

You follow them inside the purple door.

It’s a house with a stairway in the middle and two hallways to the east and west.

It seems really nice.

“Uhm… I would like to apologize.”

“Huh?”

“Normally, we pass through here, but I don’t know if-“

“What?”

“I think it might be best if you and Asriel stay here for a while.”

“Why?” you both ask in unison.

“The way to Asgore’s castle is somewhat treacherous, and I don’t want you two going there unsupervised.”

“Okay, mom.”

 

Castle?

His father lives in a castle?

 

“You will have to stay here. I am sorry, human, but there is not much furniture or food at the moment.”

“Its fine.”

“Even so, please make yourself at home!”

She starts walking away.

“Call me if you need anything! Be good, won’t you?”

“See you later, Mom!”

He waves goodbye.

 

He brings you to a room that seems to be mostly empty, except for the fireplace.

“Let me get something to eat, really quick, and I’ll warm you up.”

Oh no. He’s going to cook you.

He goes into the other room.

He comes back, clutching what appears to be a piece of fruit.

“W-where are you going?”

 

Busted.

 

I, uhh… have to go to the bathroom?

“You’re funny.”

He eats the piece of fruit.

“Check this out!”

He sits down next to the empty fireplace.

“W-what are you doing?” you say, as you slowly walk towards the fireplace.

 

He puts his hands close to each other.

He takes a deep breath.

A brilliant orange light emerges in the empty space between his hands!

“Whew! Here we are!”

“What is that?”

“Fire magic, of course!”

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Pffft. It’s not that hard.”

In spite of this, he is sweating a good bit.

 

“I can’t do that.”

“That’s okay. Hey! Come sit by the fire!”

He throws the ball of fire into the fireplace, creating a roaring fire.

“Who taught you that?”

“My Dad.”

You don’t care anymore.

 

“Hey… you look cold. Come sit by the fire.”

You begrudgingly inch closer to the fire.

It’s really warm, but not burning hot.

“Hey, sit here for a sec. I’ll be right back!”

He walks away somewhere.

 

There has to be a reason for this.

Are they going to _eat_ you?

Are they going to _**execute**_ you?

Why then?

Why are they being so nice to you?

 

“Here you go, Chara!”

“Huh?”

He’s carrying a pink blanket.

“You look really cold and sleepy.”

“No thanks.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll keep you safe. You have nothing to fear, as long as Asriel’s here!”

He pounds his fist against his chest.

 

“Fine. Give it to me.”

You snatch it from him and curl up in it.

You lie on the wooden floor.

The fire sure is warm…

Maybe… maybe you are safe…

As long as he likes you, maybe his parents won’t hurt you.

Maybe...

 

It could be worse…

 

So much…

 

Worse…

 

…

 

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz…

 

“Wow, you really _were_ tired.”


	6. bow down

“Poke.”

“Poke.”

“Poke.”

“mmhnnmn”

“C’mon…”

“mmnnhuhn”

 

“POKE.”

“hunnnngghh”

But you won’t wake up.

 

“C’mooooooonnnnn….”

“nrrrggghhh…”

 

“Wake up, Chara…”

“Nuh-uh…”

“But you’ve been sleeping all day!!”

“Gwuh?”

“You’ve been asleep for hours!”

“that’s nice…”

 

He shoves you.

“Wake up, already!”

You stand up at full height.

You clench both your hands into fists.

“DON’T EVER TOUCH ME!!!”

 

“Chara, I was just…”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…”

 

He thinks he can push you around?

_**He's wrong.** _

 

“Chara, wait!”

“DO YOU WANNA FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO TOUCH ME!?”

You’re screaming really loudly.

 

“CHARA, I’M SORRY!”

You raise your fist, but…

He’s cowering before you.

He’s not trying to hurt you.

 

You take a deep breath, and rub your eyes.

“…”

“Chara? A-are you okay?”

“I’m… I’m fine.”

“Ch-chara?”

“I’m sorry.”

 

“…”

“ _Are_ you okay, though?” he asks you.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“You don’t seem fine, Chara.”

“I’m leaving.”

 

You stomp out the door.

“W-wait! Chara! Come back! Mom’s supposed to be here soon!”

“I DON’T CARE!”

You really don’t like being touched. You only let him touch you before because you couldn’t fight back.

“CHARA!!!”

 

He tackles you.

“LET GO OF ME!!!”

“ITS DANGEROUS OUT THERE!”

“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT! LET GO!!!”

 

He has you pinned down. He’s frighteningly strong.

But wait, if he’s this strong then…

 

“Fine.”

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“ _YES_.”

“If I let go, are you just gonna run away?”

“ _ **NO**_.”

He lets go of you.

 

“Come back inside. My parents will be here any second and they don’t need to see us arguing.”

“Okay.”

“There we go.”

 

“H-hey… Asriel?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you not tell your parents about this?”

“I…”

 

“I don’t think they’d like me if they knew I almost hurt you.”

“It’s okay, Chara! People argue sometimes, and that’s okay.”

“But I almost hurt you…”

“It’s really okay, Chara.”

“Well... If you say so.”

 

You walk back in.

“Hey, what happened to the fire?”

“Sorry, magic’s all tapped out.”

He shrugs.

 

Interesting.

…

“So, Asriel…”

“Yeah?”

“You live in a castle?”

“Sure do!”

“Is that like, a figure of speech or something?”

“Nope. We really do live in a castle.”

 

“How!? Why?”

“My Dad’s the king of the underground!”

There it goes. You just felt your heart stop.

 

“T-the… K-king?”

“Yep.”

“Then that can only mean… your mother is…”

“The queen.”

 

“And you are…”

“The prince.”

 

He points to himself, proudly.

Somehow, you’ve managed to meet the one group of people who actually could have you executed. Great.

Better start sucking up. After all, you’ve never been in front of royalty before.

You fall to your knees.

 

“I’m so sorry, your majesty!”

You say this while bringing your hands up and down like you’ve seen on TV.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re royalty.”

“And?”

“I’m just a commoner. Commoners can’t be around nobility.”

 

“Get uuuupp. You're my friend, not a “commoner”.”

“You mean that?”

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Your stomach involuntarily makes a really loud sound.

“Hungry?”

“N-no… I’m not.”

He seems sad.

“Well, I guess if you say so…”

 

Voices.

You can hear voices.

And they’re getting closer.

One voice is really deep. It’s the deepest voice you’ve ever heard in your entire life.

The other is Toriel’s.

 

Then you hear the footsteps.

Then you see him.

 

A tremendous goat monster ducks underneath the doorway.

He’s bigger than both of them, by a good margin.

 

His horns are HUGE. Easily big and sharp enough to gore you quite messily if he so desired.

Curiously, he has blonde hair and a flowing golden beard, despite the fact that he has fur.

His teeth look really sharp.

He’s wearing some sort of purple cape, with golden armor underneath.

He has a golden crown on his head.

 

This is the king of the monsters.

His hands are really big too, probably big enough that he could ~~crush~~ carry you with one of them if really wanted to.

 

“Howdy, my son!”

“Howdy, Dad!”

They both wave towards each other fondly, grinning like idiots.

 

His face turns to you, and his expression shifts.

He looks sad. Sad like your real Dad looked when you got sentenced.

 

Does he not want to kill you?

Does he _have_ to kill you?

 

“So… This is the human, eh?”

Toriel nods, nervously.

 

He walks towards you, the floor shaking slightly with every step.

Your heart is beating really, really fast.

He gets down on his knees, using his left arm to support his weight.

 

“Salutations, Chara.”

“Ha… How do you know my name…?”

“My wife told me!”

“U-uhh… A pleasure to meet you, your majesty.”

 

You bow.

“I-I’m sorry?” he says confusedly.

Toriel is chuckling.

 

“I am nothing but a lowly peasant. Do with me as you wish.”

He looks bewildered.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand…”

 

“I’m a peasant. You’re the king. I’m a human. Monsters and humans are mortal enemies. Aren’t you supposed to execute me or banish me or something?”

Toriel looks genuinely shocked at this.

 

“Human…”

"There was a war. Humans killed lots of monsters."

 

His face bends into a crooked smile. He looks like he’s in a lot of pain.

 

“Human… That war was centuries ago. Those wounds were shut long ago.”

“B-but… Weren’t we mortal enemies?”

“No. There was simply a misunderstanding.”

“I’m so confused.”

“It is quite alright.”

 

“Why on earth would my husband ever execute you?” she interjects.

She seems just as worried as he is.

 

“I thought… I thought…”

“It is a simple problem.”

 

“What are you gonna do to me?”

“Chara. Listen to me.”

 

His face has gotten serious.

“The humans attacked us. They declared war on us. Swiftly, and without reason. Monsters died by the thousands.”

“W-why… Why would humans do that?”

“I cannot understand, Chara. But know this. You are not in danger as long as I draw breath. I bare no ill will towards mankind. Nor do my wife and my son.”

You look to them, and they both nod. There are tears in their eyes.

 

“I promise you. For as long as you remain down here... you will be safe.”

“You’re not gonna… hurt me?”

“I will not.”

“B-but… Don’t you hate me? Hate my kind?”

“Perhaps I did, many years ago. But as I said, those wounds were shut ages ago. You should not be put to trial for the crimes of your ancestors.”

 

“Don’t you want to go back to the surface though?”

Now he’s starting to cry.

“Human, I… I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“Tell me what?”

 

“We cannot return to the surface.”

“Why not?”

“We were sealed down here at the end of the war, never to return.

“I… I’m so sorry.”

You don’t know why you’re apologizing.

 

“Don’t you understand!? You can never go home!” Toriel blurts out.

“I… I can’t go home?”

He shakes his head sadly.

 

“I am truly sorry, Chara. But it is beyond my power. You shall remain trapped down here for the rest of your life. I wish with all my heart that I could change this, but I cannot.”

“I’m stuck down here…?”

They all nod.

 

“B-but… where will I go? Where will I live?”

You’re crying now.

Asriel hugs you.

“With us.”

 

“W-what?”

“Right, Mom? Right, Dad?”

At this, Toriel bursts into tears and hugs you too.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…”

She’s stroking your hair again.

It feels nice.

 

The king seems to be staring you down.

“W-well, A-asgore? What will it be?” she asks him.

They both watch him, with bated breath.

Recollection flashes in his eyes...

 

“It would be against my principles to do otherwise.”

“D-do you mean…?”

“Yes, human. You may live with us.”

“For a little while?”

“For as long as you deem necessary.”

And now he’s hugging you, too.

 

“Human...”

“I promise you...”

“For as long as you remain here...”

“My wife and I will take care of you as best we can.”

 

They all nod and reassure you in turn.

They’re all so warm.

You feel happy.

You don’t have to go back home.

This is your home now.

 

"Thank you so much, Mister…"

“Asgore.”

 

He really isn’t what you expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You didn’t think he’d be this easy to control.


	7. take me home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm almost done with Chara meeting their new family
> 
> I think the rest of this fic from like chapter 10 onwards won't be in chronological order
> 
> If I actually finish this, I'll figure out what happens at what time
> 
> *Cue Sans screaming internally

You agreed to stay with them.

They certainly _seem_ nice.

But things are almost never as they seem.

 

“So, uh… where do you guys live?”

“In my castle.” Asgore states, matter-of-factly.

“But where is that?”

 

Toriel lets go of you and stands in front of you.

“Alright then. I will attempt to explain. This place is known as the RUINS.”

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Not too far from here, there is a door that is quite difficult to open. Beyond that lies Snowdin. Snowdin is a very cold place. Beyond that, is Waterfall. Why was it called that again, dear?”

 

“Because of all the waterfalls, honey.”

 

“Ah, yes. Beyond Waterfall, there is a bridge to a place known as Hotland. It is a very hot place. In the center of Hotland lies the CORE. It is the source of electricity and other such things for the entire underground.”

 

Fascinating.

 

“What’s past the core?”

“In the CORE, there is an elevator. It will take us to Asgore’s castle.”

“Wow. Sounds like a really long walk.”

“It is long, but not treacherous.” Asgore says.

“How long will it take on foot?”

“A few hours.” Asgore states plainly.

 

“H-hey! Don’t sweat it, Chara! I’ve walked around the whole underground before. It’s easy!”

You get the impression that Asriel is proud of himself for this.

“I guess we’d better get going, huh?”

“Indeed, human.”

 

And so the journey began.

 

Snow. You’ve never seen snow this close before. It’s cold, but just walking near Asgore somehow keeps you warm, as if he were radiating an aura of warmth that nothing could penetrate.

 

Snow everywhere. Strange rock formations that serve as bridges. Creatures made of ice.

 

A village. Hotels, buildings, houses.

 

“What’s that place?”

“Oh! That’s Grillby’s! Mom never lets us go there, cause the food’s really unhealthy…”

Toriel looks at the building disapprovingly, as if it had done her a personal wrong.

 

You see all sorts of strange creatures, including armored dogs that stand like men, and a strange creature throwing ice into a body of water.

 

“Here is the library, Chara. They have many books.” She points to it.

“Actually, Mom, it’s the Librarby.”

“They really should fix that sign, shouldn’t they…” She says.

 

Caverns. Full of rain and rushing water. It’s a really relaxing sound.

Shining things line the ceiling.

Bridges over water, water that seems to go everywhere and nowhere simultaneously.

 

What appears to be another village.

“Excuse me for a moment, wouldn’t you?”

Asgore walks away.

 

“Do people actually live here?”

“There’s a few people here and there. Mostly ghosts.”

“Ghosts.”

“Yup.” Asriel states, matter-of-factly.

“Ghosts. They exist.”

“Yyyyyyyuuuuuppppp.”

Toriel apparently finds this amusing.

 

Asgore’s back.

He brought back two cups of something.

“Tea. For you.”

He gives the cups to you and Asriel.

Asriel gulps his down, but you pretend to drink it and discretely spill it behind you.

Nobody notices.

 

Dark mazes, filled with strange magical lanterns.

 

A big mountain.

 

Another cavern. The blocks of ice flow along the water.

“Where do those ice cubes go?”

Asgore answers this time.

“They go to the CORE, Chara.”

“How do you know that?”

“I have the privilege of having very smart friends.” He says calmly.

 

Hot. OHMYGOD ISITHOT

 

There’s lava everywhere.

Is this hell?

Creatures made of fire and brimstone.

Yup. Sounds and looks like hell.

But Asriel isn’t afraid, so you won’t be either.

 

An elevator. Despite Asgore’s size, you all fit in quite neatly.

You feel it move… to the right? Or is it the left?

You’re pretty sure this isn’t how elevators work.

 

“Here we are.”

A resort of some sort. You wish you could look around, but now is not the time.

 

A long metal corridor.

An elevator and a room made of metal.

 

…

 

The longest hallway.

 

It seems to stretch on for miles.

 

And then it hits you. This is a wall. _You are on top of something_.

 

“Mr. Asgore?”

“Hmm?”

“C-could you.. pick me up?”

“Of course.”

“Me too! Me too!”

 

He lifts you both up.

 

Buildings.

Hundreds... no, _**thousands**_ of them.

 

“This… is the capital. It is called “NEW HOME”.”

Asgore says, as he looks upon his kingdom fondly.

 

You stare into the distance. This is an actual kingdom.

Its… beautiful. Buildings of all sorts of colors, gold, silver, black, white.

It seems as if it never ends.

 

Maybe the underground isn’t so bad.

 

He sets you back down.

“This is great and all, but where do YOU live, Asgore?”

“We shall be there momentarily.”

 

An entrance.

A house much like the one you were in a few hours ago, but gold and silver instead of purple, the mahogany wood lining the floors serving only to amplify its beauty.

“This… is my humble abode. I hope that you will find that everything is to your liking.”

 

“I… I can live here?”

“But of course, child.” Toriel says.

“D’ya like it, Chara?”

You look at Asriel and his parents.

 

“When can I move in?”

They all chuckle, especially Asriel.

You can’t believe this.

There has to be a catch, right?

Nobody just _lets_ you live with them, right?

 

Your parents didn't want you living with them.

They only did because they _had_ to.

Hell, half the time your parents would lock the door, thinking you couldn't break in.

 

“What do you want from me?”

Nobody answers you.

 

“Asgore. _What do you want from me_?”

You repeat the question, sounding sterner.

 

He looks at you. Pain is etched in his face.

“All that I want is for you to be happy. There is nothing more.”

He’s being sincere.

 

“And you, Toriel?”

“I want you to have a good life here, and I will do whatever it takes for you to be happy.”

 

“Asriel?”

“I want to play with you.”

 

You sigh.

“You… really don’t hate me?”

“My child, what did you ever do to deserve our hatred?”

 

“I… I don’t understand…”

“Why are you being… so nice to me? I’ve never done anything for you. I'll only end up hurting you.”

 

Asgore has tears running down his eyes. This seems to have affected him on a personal level.

“Because… everyone deserves a chance.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Human. I’ve seen suffering. I’ve seen the horrors of war. Death, disease, and destruction. So many countless lives lost.”

“ I… do not wish to bring any more suffering into this world. If I were to leave you for dead, it would violate that wish. It does not matter what you think of yourself. You deserve a chance.”

 

“But why?”

“That… is a story for another time.”

He walks away.

 

“Chara… you’re not a bad person.”

Asriel is looking at you. He’s crying too.

 

Toriel looks at you. Guess what? She’s crying too.

“See, Chara? You have nothing to worry about. I only want you to be happy down here.”

“You’re safe here, Chara.”

“I guess…”

 

“Shall I explain the living arrangements, Chara?”

Toriel gestures down the hallway.

“Yes ma’am. Lead the way.”

 

Huh.

 

Maybe you really are safe down here.

 

They only want you to be happy.

They don’t want to hurt you.

They don’t want you to suffer.

 

They want you to be part of their family.

 

They all seem so nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What **_bullshit._**


	8. imma break it down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't it always seem to go  
> That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone  
> They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
> 
> full disclosure this might need some revising considering I wrote this at like 2AM
> 
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------

She showed you around the house.  
She showed you her room, and Asgore’s room.  
You don’t care.

But where do you sleep?

“And here is my son’s room.”  
“Yup! That’s my room!”

UGH

They walk into it.

  
Huh.

  
This…

Asriel has a room, just for him?

  
You didn’t have a room at home.

  
You used to sleep on the couch or on the floor.

  
But Asriel has an _actual_ _honest-to-god_ **room** all to himself.

Why on earth would he ever share it with you?

“This is nice and all, but where do I go?”  
Toriel looks at you confusedly.

“Uhm… This room?”

This room?  
But there’s only one bed.

“We’ll sort it out, right, Mom?”  
“Of course, dear.”

  
“Where do I sleep?”

  
Toriel seems flustered by this.

  
“Well, I… I mean, you arrived rather suddenly, so I am afraid that we have not yet made the proper accommodations for you. Do not worry though! We will arrange for your mattress to arrive shortly.

“My what!?”  
“Your mattress, dear. Don’t humans sleep on mattresses? I can’t imagine anything else being very comfortable.”

  
“What do humans sleep on, Chara?”  
Asriel says this to you with fascination.

  
“Well, I…”  
You think about telling her that you prefer to sleep on the floor, even though that’s a lie.

  
“I guess I could…”  
“If you need something else to sleep on, please say so. I want you to have a good life here.”

  
“Why?”  
“Hhm?”

  
“Why would you do all that for me?”

  
She looks… sad?

  
“I… I don’t know where you came from on the surface, but I…”

  
She pauses.

  
“Because it is the right thing to do.” She says bluntly.

  
“You can sleep with me, Chara!”

WAIT WHAT  
NO HE’S GOING TO SEE YOUR  
BUT YOU’RE BOTH SO YOUNG WHY ON EARTH WOULD A KID EVER

Oh wait he meant

“Asriel, dear… That’s a very polite gesture but your bed is not big enough for-“

  
“It’s PRINCE sized mom!”

  
She chuckles.

  
A sense of humor.

A potential weakness.

“Get it? Cause yours is Queen sized and Dad’s is-“

“Heheheh… No, Asriel. Your bed is a TWIN sized bed. It is much too small for both of you to sleep in.”

  
“I don’t mind! If I have to, I’ll sleep on the floor!”  
“Oh, Asriel…”

  
She ruffles his hair/fur a bit.

“Well… I suppose you can sleep wherever you like. As long as you deem it comfortable.”  
“I can sleep wherever. It don’t bother me none.”

  
She seems satisfied by this answer.  
“It doesn’t bother me, Chara.”

“Well, I suppose I will go prepare things for tomorrow, then.”

  
“So they can stay in here?”  
“Yes, Asriel. Be nice to them!”

And with that she’s gone…

  
Or not?

“I wanted to give you something.”  
“What is it?”

She pulls out what looks like a book made out of brown leather(?) with a belt buckle on it.  
“What’s this?”  
“A present to celebrate your arrival.”

  
“…”  
“What is the matter?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Toriel.”  
“Whatever for, dear?”

  
“I can’t accept this.”  
“Why ever not, my child?”

  
"I can’t read.”

Now she looks upset about something.

“You can’t read? Why can you not read?”  
“Uhh… Nobody ever taught me, ma’am.”

She shakes her head.  
“Well… I know just the solution! I want to talk to you later tomorrow, alright?”  
“Uhh, sure! Ma’am!”

“Good night, children!”  
“G’night Mom!”  
The door closes.

“You’re kidding, right?”  
“Huh?”  
“You can totally read, right?”  
You shake your head “no”.

“So what is this thing?”  
“A family tradition.”

  
“No, really. What is it.”  
That was a demand.

  
“It’s a diary! Or a journal!”  
“What’s that?”  
“It’s a book you write stuff in!”

“Huh?”

“Okay, so you write about stuff that happens to you, or how you feel, or…”  
“Happens to me when?”  
“Like, today, or uh… yesterday!”

“So you confess your feelings to a book.”

  
“Yup.”

  
“And your whole family does this?”

  
“Yup.”

“Why?”  
“Mom says it makes you feel better. And it helps you see how much you’ve grown as a person.”

  
“What does that mean?”  
“Beats me, but I like it! I’m on my second diary now!”

“Can I see it?”  
“NO! It’s supposed to be for my eyes only, cause I wrote it.”  
“Okay?”

He’s hiding something from you in that book. Something he doesn’t want you to see.  
You can’t have someone keeping secrets from you.

 

 _You have to know_.

  
**You want to know**.

  
_**YOU WANT THAT BOOK.** _

Then again, you can’t read, so…  
Maybe later.

“Don’t worry about it! Wanna see my toys?”  
“No, thanks.”  
“Tired, huh? That’s fine. I’m pretty beat, too.”  
“Yeah, I mean-“

“OH NO!”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I forgot to take a shower!”

 

Oh noooooooooooooo…  
Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god ohgodohgod _ohgodohgodohgod_

He runs out the door.

 

Ohnoohno what if she sees the bruises he told you to never show the bruises to anyone  
What if she tries to change you  
Your heart is beating really, really fast.

 

“Chara! Come here, please!”

You try to move your foot.

  
**But it refused**.

“Chara?”

You start shaking violently.  
Not now not now notnow _**NOOOOOOOOTNOOOOOOWWWW**_

 

“Chara?”

 

“ _CHARA_!”

“ _ **CHARA** **!?**_ ”

Oh god you’re sweating so bad and your heart is going to explode you can’t breathe you can’t feel anything

 

“ _ **CHARA!? COME HERE IMMEDIATELY!**_ ”

 

Youregoingtodie

 

You start breathing wrong.

 

Footsteps.

 

“Chara, why won’t you- OH MY GOD!”

  
You’re twitching violently. You can’t control it. She’s going to beat you for it, just like Dad did.

  
You try to brace yourself. What little you can control, anyway.

  
She picks you up.

 

“Chara? Look at me.”

  
You try to move your head to face her but it weighs so much.  
Drool is running down your face.

  
She’s holding you like her life depends on it.

 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, shshshshshshshshh… Mommy’s here, mommy’s here… Look at me, Chara. _Please, look at me!_ ”

You face her. She’s crying.

  
“It’s okay, it’s okay…”

  
She’s stroking your hair gently.

“Chara… If you can hear me, then please… say something....”  
You gurgle.

“Duh-do…”  
“Oh no…”

  
“don’t hurt me i’m sorry”  
“Wh-what?”  
“Uhh-I…”

  
“Please… stay still.”

The rainbow colored light engulfs you.

  
It didn’t work.

  
“My child…”  
She’s shaking at least as bad as you are.

“ASGORE!!!”

Oh no. Oh no no No No NO.

“ASGORE, COME QUICKLY!!!”

Something huge materializes in front of the door.  
“What’s wrong?”

 

She turns to face him, holding your twitching, drooling body.

  
You really wish you were unconscious.

  
“WHAT DO I DO!?”  
“What has happened?”  
“I found them like this!”

  
“Mom? Dad? What’s going on?”

  
Asriel’s here, too.

Still hasn’t showered.

  
You just had a panic attack in front of complete strangers.  
Nice going, dumbass.

 

But why haven’t they beaten you or ignored you?

 

Why?

Why-

 

The warm water gently patters on you.  
Toriel is watching you wearily.  
You blacked out.

 

You really are an idiot.

 

You reflexively clean yourself.

 

“…”  
“Are you alright, dear?”

  
“I need a towel.”  
“Of course, dear.”

  
A fluffy white towel.  
You dry off.

  
“H-hey… can you do me a favor?”  
“Of course.”

“C-can you n-not… I… I mean… uh…”  
“You are a perfectly healthy child.”  
“I m-mean, I’m not…”

  
“Did your parents want a child of a certain gender?”  
“Yeah. They wanted a... wait, how did you?”

  
“You begged your father and mother not to hurt you while you were…”  
“I…”

“It is alright. As long as you are here, you are simply Chara. Not a boy or a girl. Just Chara.”  
“You… don’t think I’m weird?”  
“You are who you are.” She says simply.

 

“I- I’m sorry I didn’t tell you abou-“  
“You must have had very abusive parents.”

  
“Please don’t tell Asriel.”  
“I won’t. It’ll be our secret.”

 

“I… I’m sorry.”  
“It is alright. Here. Brush your teeth and come to Asriel’s room.”

  
“O-okay…”  
She walks out the-

  
“WAIT!”  
“Yes?”

“Th-thank you… f-for helping me.”  
She smiles at you fondly.

  
“It is no trouble at all.”  
She walks out.

“We don’t have any clothes for you at the moment, so this will have to suffice.”  
She hands you an old striped sweater and a pair of old pants. Brown and green. The pants are brown, too.

“What happened to my old clothes?”  
“They were too ragged for me to fix, so I got rid of them. I’m sorry.”  
“Okay.”

“Asriel?”  
“Yeah, Mom?”  
“If Chara starts shaking again, come get me immediately, okay?”  
“I’ll watch them like my life depends on it!”  
“Very good.”

The door closes.

“You okay?”  
He’s wearing what looks to be a pair of blue and yellow pajamas with moons and suns on them.  
“I’m fine, thanks.”

“We don’t have time to get you a bed, so you’ll have to sleep with me.”

  
“I’ll sleep on the floor, thanks.”

  
“A-are you sure?”

  
“Leave me alone.”

  
“Are you sure you’re okay?”

  
“ _Leave me alone._ ”

  
“O-okay…”

 

Gee, the carpet sure is comfy.

 

You don’t understand.

 

Even after what just happened…

 

They’re willing to let you stay?

 

What would it take for them to make you leave?

 

 

 

 

You could get away with anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe even ~~murder~~.

 


	9. a chara-table meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will probably be the last chapter that takes place right after the chapter before it.  
> The rest of this fic probably won't be in chronological order.... for the most part.
> 
> also yes, asgore can totally cook why do you ask
> 
> ====================================================

So then.

This is your life now.

 

Toriel talked to you.

  
Your schooling will start soon.

  
She offered to teach you how to read, as long as you behave.

  
~~As if.~~

  
Asgore doesn’t seem to trust you as much as the others, but something about you seems to fascinate him.

 

You had a breakdown in front of all of them, and all they’ve done since is offer solutions.

  
Asriel even got you some chocolate.  
But you won’t eat it.

  
The pain in your stomach is almost too much to bear, but there’s another feeling, deep inside you, that almost feels worse.  
These people care about you… right?

  
But that’s crazy.  
That can’t be right.  
They have to have an ulterior motive, right?

  
Asriel told you about his life, and about his parents.  
He probably told you too much.

  
Toriel works around the house.

  
Asgore is constantly preparing speeches and laws and edicts, asking for help from Toriel at times.

  
She rarely wears the crown, but it’s clear that she’s at least as smart as Asgore is, if not smarter.

  
They both seem really busy. Asriel hardly ever does anything, besides practice magic and bother you.

 

They like to get up EARLY, too.  
You always naturally woke up pretty early, perhaps as a defense mechanism, but they wake up early, too.

 

You aren’t used to having breakfast.  
You really weren’t used to having a piping hot breakfast ready for you on the table.

  
You still didn’t eat it.

  
Toriel very nearly forced you to eat it, but…  
You didn’t.

 

You can’t accept this.  
If you eat, they’ll want something from you in return, right?

 

You try to hide in Asriel’s room, but he finds you easily.

  
Later that day, a big monster that looked like a bear delivered your mattress.

  
Toriel was so busy that Asgore set it up.  
You stood there and watched, wordlessly.

 

It occurs to you that you may have dropped your guard, because these people could still kill you if they felt like it… right?

  
Later that day, Asriel tells you to stay in his room.  
You feel obligated to at least humor him.

  
As you lie there on the carpeted floor, you wonder what the people on the surface would think of you. Would they call you a monster, too?

Monsters seem much nicer than what the legends would have you believe.

  
Is it possible that… _That they really care about you?_

  
The pain in your stomach and your chest is rapidly becoming too much to bear. It’s the second worst pain you’ve ever felt, and its quickly on its way to becoming the first.  
It must have been at least two days since you’ve eaten anything.

  
You’ve never tried any of the food down here.

  
The little clock on Asriel’s nightstand shows that it is 7:00.  
There’s no sunlight here, but judging by how long you’ve been awake, it must be night time.

 

A knock on the door.  
“ _Chaaaaaraaaaa~!_ ”

  
“What do you want, Asriel?”  
“ _We’ve got a suuurrrpriiiise for yooooooou~!_ ”

  
Ugh. Did he have to sing about it? What a dweeb.

  
“I’m not moving.”  
“Aww, come on!”

  
*sigh*

  
You shuffle onto your feet.

  
“Fine. What is it, then?”

  
“Come into the living room!”

  
He puts his hand/paw over your face.

  
“Whoa, what’re you doing!?”

  
“Close your eyes!”  
“Fine! They’re closed.”  
“No peeking!”

  
He leads you into the living room.

  
*sniff* *sniff*

  
Something smells _**GOOD**_.

  
Your stomach makes the kinds of sounds a wooden buidling being ripped apart by a hurricane must make, mixed with the sound of a jet plane taking off.  
The pain is almost too much to bear.

  
“Alright! Open your eyes, Chara!”

A really long table, that stretches all the way from one end of the room to the other.  
It has a fancy tablecloth on it, with what seems like dozens of plates.

  
Plates with food on them.  
_Lots of food._

“We made all this food for you, Chara!”

Asriel gestures to the table.  
You inch a bit closer.

Fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, sweets, pie, and even what appears to be fish of some sort.  
You’ve never seen this much food in one place in your entire life.

  
This is nothing like the food your parents used to eat.

Toriel looks really exhausted. She must have spent all day preparing this for you.  
Asgore looks a little tired, too.

  
“We spent all day making this supper for you, dear.”

“All of this… for me?”

 

“Wait, I didn’t…”

Toriel looks really worried, but as soon as she sees your face…

 

“Well, I suppose… Just this once… Eat as much as you like!”

“My wife and I want you to feel welcome here, Chara.”

“I… _I…_ ”

 

“C’mon, Chara! Get something to eat!”

  
“I c-can’t… I m-mean… what if I’m allergic?”

 

“Allergic? Oh my goodness! Asgore, can humans be allergic to monster food?”

“I don’t believe so. Every human I’ve ever known has enjoyed my cooking.”

 

He chuckles softly to himself, lost in some sort of memory.

 

He's known other humans?

 

“I beg of you, child. Please try something. Perhaps the strawberries?”

  
You look at the strawberries. They’re a purplish color, and they seem to be covered in spikes of some sort.

You sit down at the table.

  
Toriel lets out a squeal of delight.

  
Asgore lowers himself to the floor, sitting next to his wife.  
Asriel sits on the other side, with you.

“… Do you guys have any ramen?”

  
Toriel scowls at this.  
“Hmm… Ramen isn’t very healthy, my child. Why not try some of the mashed potatoes instead?”

  
_Sure_. _**Why not**_.

  
Mashed potatoes with some kind of mushrooms in some sort of gravy.  
You take a bite.  
Then another.

 

_oh my freaking **GOD**_

 

Then you eat _everything_.  
Like, _**literally everything** **.**_

 

_**Oh my god this is the best food in the entire world** _

  
You eat as if you haven’t eaten since birth.

  
The food tastes wonderful, but it feels weird going down.

  
Your stomach feels at once full and empty.  
You keep eating.

  
You try some of the pie.

  
“Ick.”  
“Hmm?”  
Toriel is eying you.

  
“I don’t like butterscotch very much, sorry.”  
She nods understandingly.

After a long meal…  
“OOOOOuuuuuugghhh….”

  
You flop over on the floor, with your belly sticking out.  
You’ve never been this full in your entire life.

  
“Are you quite alright, my child?”  
“I’m fine.”

  
Asgore chuckles.  
“Heh. Seems like the human has discovered the wonders of a home-cooked meal, eh?”

  
“It would appear so.” She says slyly.

  
“Isn’t Mom’s cooking the best, Chara?”  
“YEEEEEEEEEEES. YES IT IS!”

  
They all chuckle at this.

  
You let out a loud belch.

  
Toriel seems a bit less amused by this.  
“Manners, Chara.”

  
“’Scuse me. Uhh… May I be excused?”

  
“Certainly. Asriel, we’ll do the dishes today, alright?”  
“Thanks, Mom! You’re the best!”

 

You waddle back into Asriel’s room and flop over on your bed.  
It feels so nice…  
You feel like you might not ever get up.

You fell asleep truly happy that night, for the first time in your life.

 

 _This is your home now_.

 

And so it was.

 

Toriel started teaching you how to read.

 

 

Asgore started teaching you how to garden

 

 

 

  
Asriel started teaching you how to be a better person.

 

 

 

 

 

But that’s a lie.

 

You were never a good person.

 

All you do is hurt other people.

 

The cycle continues.

 

The fact of the matter is this:  
The real monster here is YOU.

 

  
Oh well. Might as well keep pretending.

 

  
Maybe one day you’ll be a better person.

 

Maybe it’s time.

Maybe it’s time to change.

Only one way to find out.

 

 

  
Is this love?

 

Or is this all a lie?


	10. diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is almost certainly going to be fleshed out a LOT.
> 
> By the time I'm done with this fic this should be a rough order of events for this fic.
> 
> Maybe I'll even put in links when I'm done

 Two faces, obscured in shadow.

 

 

“What is this?”

“i dunno.”

 

“Has Asgore seen this?”

“nope.”

 

“Ahh. He has not. I do not think he should.”

 

“I am going to read it, and then I shall destroy it. Understood?”

 

“gotcha, boss.”

 

“You will not read it.”

“yeah, i understand.”

 

“Leave.”

“i’m goin’.”

 

 

**_ My Diary                                                 
_ **

 

**Novmmbr XX 201X**

tihs is stupid

 

 

**Novmmbr XX 201X**

First reeding leston today

 

 

**November XX 201X**

Torial says im a fast lerner

 

 

**December XX 201X**

Tea was good

 

 

**December XX 201X**

Azgor drinks

 

 

**December XX 201X**

Weeds need to be cut

 

 

**December XX 201X**

They have santa down here? So many presents

I dont need this

 

 

**January XX 201X**

Azreal showed me his trick today. Really cool.

 

 

**January XX 201X**

Asgore hates me. He hates me so much.

 

 

**March XX 201X**

Toriel says I’m the smartest kid she’s ever met.

 

 

**April XX 201X**

THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD HIDE IT FROM ME

 

**April XX 201X**

Asgore explained. I don’t know about this. I feel strange.

 

 

**May XX 201X**

Wow, waterfall sure is wet this time of year.

 

**May XX 201X**

I fucked up.

But I’m still alive, aren’t I?

I don’t know how or why.

But I’m alive.

 

 

**June XX 201X**

Who still even uses old cameras like that?

 

 

**July XX 201X**

Asgore told me the truth. He used to be friends with a human a really long time ago. He still believes humans can change. Maybe I can change.

 

 

**July XX 201X**

He told me more about the war.

They deserve to die for what they did to my family.

 

 

**July XX 201X**

I really wish I could use magic.

 

 

**August XX 201X**

I FOUND IT! HE’S NEVER GETTING IT BACK NOW.

 

 

“How curious. Some of the entries seem to be missing.”

 

 

**August XX 201X**

Asriel’s almost as good at drawing as I am.

 

 

**August XX 201X**

THE ABSOLUTE GOD OF HYPERDEATH! I love coming up with this stuff!

 

 

**September XX 201X**

Mom was so mad when she found all that maple syrup. But I think we both had fun.

 

 

**September XX 2O!X**

_**[REDACTED]** _

 

 

**October XX 201X**

I fucked up again.

 

 

**October XX 201X**

They didn’t care. Nobody ever seems to.

I called him Dad for the first time by accident.

I don’t understand.

 

 

**November XX 201X**

Snowball fights are fun.

 

 

**November XX 201X**

Brandy is not beer.

 

 

**November XX 201X**

Birthday? I don’t know when I was born. Why go to all this trouble for one person? What did I ever do to them?

 

 

**December XX 201X**

One of them has to die. But I can’t do it.

He read the legend to me, but what if a human can’t absorb a monster soul?

Better safe than sorry. I’ll make them understand. It has to be this way.

The humans must pay.

Even if it kills me.

 

 

**December XX 201X**

Weeds ruin life for other plants. They need to be destroyed.

 

 

**January XX 201X**

I’m curious about something.

 

 

**January XX 201X**

It worked better than I could have ever hoped.

I couldn’t stop laughing.

Even though it wasn’t funny.

 

 

**January XX 201X**

I fucked up. Now he hates me.

 **But** then why did he protect me?

 

 

**February XX 201X**

I started learning how to sew.

 

 

**March XX 201X**

He sure did like that sweater.

 

 

**March XX 201X**

I think I’ve got it.

 

 

**March XX 201X**

Asriel cried and cried when I told him. Maybe I can’t trust him. But there’s no other way.

 

 

**March XX 201X**

I can’t do this.

 

 

**April XX 201X**

I have to do this.

 

 

**April XX 201X**

Only the strong survive.

 

 

**May XX 201X**

That settles it. We’ve already started gathering the flowers.

 

 

**May XX 201X**

Asriel. If you're reading this, I want you to know that I care about you more than anyone else.

I mean it.

I’m really sorry about all of this.

I hope you live a long, happy life.

Maybe someday you’ll understand.

We had to do this.

We had to free them all.

 

**May XX 201X**

We’ll be together forever, right?

I'll be waiting for you.

 

 

**June XX 201X**

_Goodbye_.

 

 

“Why on earth would someone throw such a book into the CORE?”

“Very, very interesting.”

 

 

“More importantly… how did it get here, of all places?”

 

“Oh well.”

 

 

 

The DIARY was destroyed.

**Author's Note:**

> comments r always fun


End file.
